Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable electronic technology devices, in particular computer tablet holders, stands and folios and their keyboard accessories. More specifically, the invention relates to tablet holders or risers attached to and removable from folios. The tablet holder or stand may be arranged in multi-configurable positions that are advantageous to the user. Along with this, we are disclosing a magnetic means to temporarily assemble or attach an accessory such as a keyboard to such a folio for ease of placement, registration and transportation of the accessory and folio in tandem.
Background Art
The typical computer tablet folio uses an outer cover with a flexible fabric hinge located between two panels. The panels each have an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer cover can be rigid or be constructed of soft material. The folio's flexible soft fabric hinge allows for the folio to be configured into multiple positions since the hinge pliable allowing for one of the covers to be folded into acute, obtuse angles and over upon itself with relative ease.
There are protective covers which temporarily register and attach themselves to the computer tablet like the Apple tablet cover, U.S. Pat. No. 8,143,983 or to a folio by mechanical means such as the device as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,724,300. These patents disclose how to attach a protective cover or folio onto a tablet device which differs from this application's invention which discloses how to temporarily register and attach an accessory such as a keyboard to the protective folio vs. the computer tablet. The protective folio can be configured with a temporary assembly means which allow a computer tablet accessory such as a wireless keyboard to register itself to the proper location upon at least one of the folio cover's inner surface. Magnets advantageously provide such registration as they will self align. Additionally, when the keyboard is carried outside the folio in tandem with the folio (or alternatively, keyboard to keyboard, folio to folio or alternatively any combinations and numbers equal or greater than two), the temporary assembly feature allows the keyboard and the folio to be carried or stored in tandem more easily when compared to the more standard folio and keyboard accessory which do not have this feature built in. In the preferred embodiment, the folio includes a matrix of magnets, spaced so that they are equidistant horizontally and vertically, thereby allowing multiple placement options for the keyboard or other accessory, particularly where the keyboard or other accessory has magnets similarly spaced. In other embodiments, the spacing of the magnets need not be equidistant.
As expressed in this application, the common related art is dependent on the folio cover's inner surface as the resting or registration means allowing the tablet to be properly configured from the lowered or collapsed position or configuration into the upright or inclined position or configuration. In addition, the common related art does not disclose any of the following: the ability to slide (upon the inner surface of the folio cover) the riser assembly to center the tablet or move it in such a way to allow room for the keyboard accessory (or any other accessory), nor the ability to remove the riser assembly from the folio, nor the riser being independently functional without the need to engage the folio cover's inner surface to remain in the raised configuration. The common related art does not discloses a temporary assembly configuration in which an accessory registers and aligns itself to the folio; with the additional functionality as to ease the carrying and storing of these elements in tandem by the temporary assembly elements. None of the related art is configured to work in the way as the inventions described in this application. These and many other benefits will be forthcoming within this application as we describe the invention in more detail.